AI Folds DNA into Miniature Masterpieces
Сеульский национальный университет
Hanyang University
South Korean researchers have developed a generative AI model called Generative SNUPI that can design DNA origami structures. The model automates the tedious process of designing DNA sequences, enabling rapid creation of nanoscale shapes like dogs, stars, and the Mona Lisa. The work, accepted in Nature Communications, could accelerate applications in nanorobotics and medicine.
Researchers from Seoul National University and Hanyang University created Generative SNUPI (Structured Nucleic Acids Programming Interface), a generative AI model that designs DNA sequences for DNA origami. DNA origami is a technique that bends genetic material into specific shapes, but traditionally requires manual expertise and time-consuming tweaking. Generative SNUPI uses a diffusion model to take a target shape (e.g., a dog's face or Mona Lisa) and output DNA sequences that, when synthesized, fold into that shape. The method involves short DNA staples and a long scaffold strand, exploiting base-pairing rules. Some shapes initially failed due to structural instability, so the team added a pre-design step to predict structural integrity. Future work aims to make designs more flexible for applications like drug delivery and immunotherapy.
- Сокращения
- SNUPI = Structured Nucleic Acids Programming Interface
- DNA = Deoxyribonucleic Acid — Дезоксирибонуклеиновая кислота
Source: IEEE Spectrum AI —
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